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112th Commencement Set for Saturday, May 9, 2009
Tuesday, May 5 2009
Best selling author and award-winning journalist John Maclean will address the class of 2009 at the University of Montana Western’s 112th commencement ceremonies at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 9 in the Straugh Gymnasium.

The Class of 2009 is the second class of students who have attended solely under the university’s innovative one-at-a-time course delivery system, Experience One.

During the ceremonies, Anaconda educator Angela McLean will receive the 2009 University of Montana Western Distinguished Alumni Award.

Commencement activities begins Tuesday, May 5, with the Montana Western Foundation Alumni Service Luncheon. The luncheon honors Bramlette & Company Realtors and retiring Montana Western education professor Linda Reiten.

The 2009 Distinguished Alumni Award will be presented to Anaconda, Mont. educator Angela McLean during the commencement ceremonies on Saturday.

Saturday’s activities begin with Baccalaureate ceremonies in the Beier Auditorium beginning at 8 a.m.

A reception honoring the graduates will be held immediately following the ceremonies in the Keltz Arena.
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Montana Western Business Program Receives National Accreditation
Wednesday, April 22 2009
The business and technology department at the University of Montana Western received accreditation by the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education (IACBE) at their annual conference.

Montana Western is one of only two university business programs in Montana to receive IACBE accreditation.

“Accreditation is recognition that the business program at Montana Western demonstrates academic excellence and a commitment to continuous quality improvement,” IACBE president Robert H. Roller said. “The IACBE is especially interested in the assessment of student learning outcomes. The accreditation process is one means of making certain graduates are well-equipped to excel in the business world.”

The Montana Western program was examined by trained evaluators who insure IACBE standards are met in eight key areas. Those areas are outcomes assessment, strategic planning, curriculum faculty, scholarly and professional activities, resources, internal/external relationships and educational motivation.

“Accreditation is more than just another credential for institutions,” William Parrott, IACBE director of member services and international programs said. “Accreditation requires evidence that a school’s programs are meeting high standards and producing measurable, high-quality results.”

Founded in 1997, IACBE is the premier professional accreditation body for student-centered colleges and universities with over 225 members in the United States and around the world.

“This accreditation is very important. It confirms we are preparing our students for industry standards,” Fred Chilson, chair of the business and technology department said. “The accreditation holds us accountable for teaching acceptable business practices. The result is a never-ending pursuit of excellence, which benefits students.”
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Celebrated Poet Carol Maso at Montana Western
Monday, April 20 2009
Contemporary American novelist, poet, and essayist Carole Maso was featured at the Visiting Writer Series at the University of Montana Western.

Carole Maso is the author of nine books including the novels, “Defiance,” “Ava” and “The Art Lover,” a book of essays, “Break Every Rule,” prose poems, “Aureole” and “Beauty is Convulsive,” and a memoir, “The Room Lit by Roses.” She is Professor of Literary Arts at Brown University.

Maso is the recipient of the Lannan Literary Fellowship for Fiction, 1993; National Endowment for the Arts Literature Grant, 1988; National Endowment for the Arts Emerging Artist Reading Grant, 1987; New York Foundation for the Arts Grant, 1987; and the W.K. Rose Fellowship in the Creative Arts, 1985.

“Carole Maso’s work captures the intense beauty and mystery of human life,” Rebecca Knotts, visiting assistant professor of Engish at Montana Western said. “Whether she is exploring grief, desire, or the blissful expectation of motherhood, her experimental forms and poetic language invite the reader into a sensual and emotional experience that’s simply intoxicating.”

The Visiting Writer Series at Montana Western was created in 2005, offering undergraduate students the opportunity to study with nationally renowned writers.

Students enrolled in the one-credit class attend a three-hour workshop with the featured writer, participate in book discussions, and attend the public reading. The series has featured poets Juliana Spahr and Noah Eli Gordan, novelist Mitch Weiland, and fantasy writer Patricia Briggs, among others.

“We are honored Carole Maso has accepted our invitation,” Knotts said. “Students from across campus have enrolled in the visiting writer seminar class, demonstrating that her creative work speaks to a diverse audience - not just literature and writing majors.”

The Visiting Writer Series is sponsored by the Montana Western English Department, a generous donation by Jane Maddock and ASUMW. For more information contact Rebecca Knotts at (406) 683-7206.
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Earth Day Festivities Set for Saturday, April 25
Monday, April 20 2009
The University of Montana Western Terre Verde club is hosting Earth Day Festivities in southwest Montana on Saturday, April 25, 2009 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Dillon’s Jaycee Community Park!

The event is designed to increase awareness and appreciation for the environment.  All activities are free and open to the public.

9 a.m.   5K/10K Fun Run (beginning in the park)
10 a.m.  Town Trash Clean-Up, gloves and bags will be supplied
11 a.m.  Basic Survival Skills Training

In addition to these scheduled activities, there will be several events going on throughout the day including a drop-in music circle (bring an instrument or just chime in!), plastic recycling, eco-activities, games for children and a tie-dye corner (bring your favorite shirt!).  
 
For information contact Heather Reiss, Terre Verde president mckannay@hotmail.com or Linda Lyon, Terre Verde academic advisor (406) 683-7075.
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Author John Maclean to Speak at 112th Commencement
Friday, April 17 2009
Best-selling author and award-winning reporter John Maclean will address the class of 2009 at the University of Montana Western’s 112th commencement ceremonies at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 9 in the Straugh Gymnasium.

“We are honored to have such a distinguished scholar, accomplished journalist and gifted storyteller accept our invitation as commencement speaker,” Montana Western Chancellor Richard Storey said. “It is a historic graduation and it is only fitting to have a speaker of John Maclean’s caliber.”

The Class of 2009 is the second class of students who have attended solely under the university’s innovative one-at-a-time course delivery system, Experience One.

Maclean is the author of three books about fatal wildfires. His first, “Fire on the Mountain” which deals with the tragic 1994 Storm King Mountain fire in Colorado, won the Mountain and Plains Booksellers Association’s best nonfiction title of 1999.

“Fire and Ashes: On the Frontlines of American Wildfire” followed four years later. “Fire and Ashes”, a collection of stories and essays, was named a “best book” by the Chicago Tribune. The book looks at the 1953 Rattlesnake Fire in California, the 1999 Sadler fire in Nevada and the 1949 Mann Gulch Fire in Montana.

The Mann Gulch fire was the subject McLean’s father Norman’s “Young Men and Fire,” published posthumously with the assistance of the younger Maclean in 1992.

“The Thirtymile Fire,” published in 2007, deals with a wildfire in 2001 that claimed the lives of four firefighters in a remote canyon in north central Washington.

Born and raised in Chicago, Maclean spent 30 years as a writer, reporter and editor at the Chicago Tribune including 18 years in the Washington bureau of the Tribune. He was a regular on the Kissinger Shuttle, covering the legendary diplomatic journeys of Secretary of State Henry Kissenger. He was nominated for several Pulitzers during his Tribune career.

Maclean and his wife Fran, are the parents of two adult sons; Daniel a teacher, author and adventurer, and John Fitzroy, a public defender for the state of Maryland.
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